《Cinnamon Candy》 CH 1 A dim light poured through the curtains. Hazy sunlight fell on the bareback on the bed, where the white sheets were crumpled. Reddish fingernail marks were carved on the side of the wing bone where the light shone. It was a sign of an intense love affair. Man scratched his back once, whether or not he had a sore wound, then stretched out his arm. The protracted yawn followed. The man brushed his messy hair and lowered his legs under the bed. As if moving right away was troublesome, he collapsed on his side and rolled himself up on the blanket, and only after a while did, he wriggle out to get himself up. The blanket slid over his feet, exposing his naked body in the light. The man stood up from his seat, rubbing his stiff neck from side to side. The curve that fell from his round shoulders to his narrow waist seemed to have been drawn in one stroke with the tip of a pen dipped in ink, and the raised buttocks were chubby and firm. The person he was with last night must have known that, and there were reddish handprints on his immaculate buttocks. The man looked towards the bathroom once, then sat down on the bed, and reached for the table. Tapping the cigarette pack, he spontaneously took one out, put it in his mouth, and lit it. He dug his cheeks well and sucked in, then held the note left under the ashtray in his hand. ¡°Yesterday was good. See you later¡± The red lip marks were also left as a stamp. The man chuckled and crumpled up the note throwing it into the trash. The purpose for which he reached out was not a useless note, but something beneath it. It was the price to pay. I counted the yellow bills one by one, hoping that it was worth shaking his waist for. She gave him a few more than the original amount. ¡°Not bad¡± As if the man was letting off steam, he let out a short puff of smoke. As he was about to move quickly, he chewed on the filter for a long time, regretting the remaining length of time. Unlike the pile of stiff bills stuck between his fingers, the edges of the black wallet were smooth and worn out. Soon after, he extinguished a cigarette he had smoked in ashtray and stood up with a stretch. He wanted to lazily dissolve his frowning body with hot water. His muscles all over his body were throbbing from sleeping at the edge of the bed all night. I can afford to be extravagant. There was still some time left before leaving. Today started out no different from other days. *** When I was in my senior year of high school, my homeroom teacher said. ¡°Don¡¯t give up on your dreams if you work hard, one day your dream will come true. Effort does not betray one.¡± Young Han Seon-joo snorted. The homeroom teacher didn¡¯t tell the truth that even if one does not betray one¡¯s efforts, reality often strikes back. It was like a dream. Unless reality supports it, dreams are like finding meat in a barn where rice has fallen. It is said that there are people who overcame adversity, and achieved their dreams, but aren¡¯t they few enough to appear in the media? Not everyone could overcome difficult circumstances and write a successful story. At first, yes, at least until the first year of high school, Seon-joo also had hope. Someday he will get away from this disgusting reality, join a decent company, and live with his family in a pretty house. Even if it was an insignificant dream in the eyes of others, it was precious to Seon-joo. And the dream ended up being just a dream. Things happened one after another when he was in his senior year of high school, which reduced the sound of his footsteps in his own home. He heard the news that his older brother took out a loan and invested in a company that did not look like a bad deal, and then it went bankrupt. The cancerous lump that grew in his mother¡¯s breast was probably caused by the stress his older brother gave her, and Seon-joo had no doubts about it. College, studying, and giving up everything, wasting all my time taking care of paying off all those debts. He went to the army in the middle of all of this but when he came back greeted by his mother, his family got addicted to gambling, and so more and more debts piled up with no means to pay back. As I worked to pay off debts for money I had never seen or touched, I ended up begging for money with my body before I knew it. Morally, it was a small profit. Money was more terrifying than violence, and life came and went for just a few pennies. In a capitalist society, money was a list in the hand of the grim reaper. Fortunately, he is not ugly, so the guests often nominated him. I made a decent amount of money in one night by touching my stomach a little, singing a little, taking off my shirt if I wanted to take it off, taking my pants off if I wanted to, and matching the rhythm as I wanted. The second time was also good. He didn¡¯t hesitate to put his tongue on the instep of foot if the person gave him money. Even worse than that, he liked till the needles sprout at the top of his foot. At least, the store where Seon-joo worked mostly consisted of beta. Occasionally, Alpha and Omega with unusual tastes came, but they usually stopped by only once, probably out of curiosity. It was a peaceful workplace with little fuss, and violent accidents were rare compared to the other places. Seon-joo, who was lying curled up on the sofa in the waiting room, gave a long yawn. He hardly slept because he was looking for another job in the morning. He hated to see his clothes crumpled and his hair out of shape, but he couldn¡¯t help it when he sits and dozes off and his body tilts to the side on its own. As I was about to fall asleep, the door opened. People who were killing time by using their cell phones or napping like Seon-joo turned their heads as if they would be called. The toadlike employee looked around the waiting room and focused his eyes on Seon-joo. ¡°Jiho hyung! The kid from last time came again. What was their name¡­Ah, Kim Soo-chan! Looking for you hyung. Seon-joo forehead crumpled in an instant. If it was Kim Soo-chan, he had met him as a guest the other day, he didn¡¯t care if it would it¡¯s a woman or a man, but as soon he met him he knew that guy was an alpha. He boasted that he is an alpha till he was deaf. Seon-joo let out a sigh and stood up. ¡°You¡¯re popular, Kang Ji-ho.¡± Kang Yeong-ho whistled and teased Seon-joo. He was a person who had been territorial as he had come in three months before him, and then he had a drink with Han Seon-joo and behaved like best friends of ten years. ¡°Popular. Will you hyung, go instead? I will yield.¡± ¡°Deal. That baby alpha. What kind of stupid alpha pup comes to Club L full of betas? He will die looking for an omega like that.¡± ¡°I know right, did he drink a little too much?¡± ¡°Cheer up.¡± Kang Yeong-ho, who didn¡¯t take his eyes off his phone, threw it like it was nothing. It was fortunate that there was some sincerity buried in the consolation of cheering up. As usual, Seon-joo just laughed. Customer is the law. If I get snotty and refused but the customer would yell at the manager asking if I was playing with him, my salary would be cut right away. I can go and pour myself a drink and say goodbyes after the chatter. However, when I think of the hand that secretly touched the back of my back and butt the other day, I felt as if my light steps are sinking down the hallway as if I had stepped into the swamp. Tips are generous, so let¡¯s take comfort in that. Seon-joo stood in front of the door after repeating his mother¡¯s and brother¡¯s names in his mind ten times. After fixing his collar and tidying up his dishevelled hair, he raised the tips of his lips. As his cheeks were pushed up, a dimple appeared to prick his left cheek. When the tips of his eyes were pulled down like an eye smile, a plausible expression appeared. Putting on his mask, Han Seon-joo opened the door. ¡°Sorry. Have you been waiting long?¡± In a friendly, kind manner, so that the customer can feel relaxed and welcomed. It was the voice the boss always emphasized. I realized a long time ago, that if one doesn¡¯t smile, one won¡¯t get paid. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been dealing with customers while creating a personality I didn¡¯t have, so this kind of smile and voice came out just as sharp, as a private officer¡¯s official name. ¡°Why are you so late? I thought I would die from waiting. Hurry up and sit down¡± Kim Soo-chan, who was sitting on the sofa moved his hips and called for Seon-joo. His eyeballs gazing at Han Seon-joo were glistening like oiled go balls. In my experience, people who looked like that always have had accidents. Meanwhile, his cheeks are red like of a boy who fell in love for the first time. Seon-joo smiled brightly, hiding his disgust. It wasn¡¯t just Kim Soo-chan in the room. Another person was sitting at the head of the table. Unlike Kim Soo-chan, who was dressed in a suit, the man wore only a thick hoodie and baggy black training pants. As he leaned back on the back of the sofa and sipped his drink, he felt Seon-joo gaze and raised his head. His eyes were half interested, half curious. Kim Soo-chan wasn¡¯t particularly small, but compared to a man in a hoodie, he was like a wild boar in front of a Siberian tiger. Even though it was a loose-fitting hoodie, the wide shoulders, and forearms with muscles like stones were noticing at first glance. ¡°Ah, this is Kwon Hee-seong, my friend. I brought him because he wanted to see you. You don¡¯t have to worry about him¡± CH 2 Kim Soo-chan hurriedly pulled Seon-joo¡¯s wrist and sat next to him, dragging an empty wine glass. As if fearing that someone might say he had no money, all the alcohol he ordered was expensive western liquor. How could the boss who picks out people miss such a darling customer? There was a reason why even the alpha man was accepted eagerly. Of course, some water was added to the liquor, and the whiskey was bottled, so instead of real whiskey, he got cheap alcohol, but Kim Soo-chan didn¡¯t notice. While Kim Soo-chan failed to notice, but person he liked was like ¡°kisaeng that has held to the hem of her skirt tightly and acted all silly, refusing to show her inner flesh¡±. Seon-Joo secretly removed Kim Soo-chan¡¯s hand and filled an empty glass with alcohol. For other customers it was natural, to listen to their troubles, comfort them, kiss them when they squeeze their lips, or spend a night with if they want a body, but for this man Seon-joo didn¡¯t know what to do. He was alpha grossly attached to beta, which is about a million years away from omega. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would come again. This is because alpha people don¡¯t come in often.¡± Still, a guest is a guest. Seon-joo called him formally the other day, but this time he changed it to a more friendly tone. Hearing that he was the older brother, Kim Soo-chan widened his smile almost dying from happiness. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was actually a hyung or a donsaeng. He could only guess by the looks of his face, wrinkled cheeks or nasolabial folds. But looking at the man he dragged along as his friend, it was hard to guess. ¡°I came to see you. Because I kept thinking about you¡­oh, would you like a drink?¡± ¡°I would follow you.¡± As soon as possible, drink a lot and sell more alcohol. Fortunately, Han Seon-joo has natural tolerance to alcohol, so even though he emptied two bottles of liquor, he doesn¡¯t pass out on the spot. However, he was also recommended to protect his stomach walls by eating soup before going to work. Han Seon-joo quickly emptied his glass and poured alcohol into all the empty glasses. Kwon Hee-seong, whom Kim Soo-chan brought as a friend, also got his glass filled with alcohol. Kim Soo-chan pursed his lips as if he didn¡¯t like the fact that Seon-Joo filled his friend¡¯s glass. He pretended not to notice the jealousy in Soo-chan¡¯s eyes. Kwon Hee-seong watched the scene and emptied his glass with a smile. He put down his empty glass and leaned forward to address Han Seon-joo. ¡°Don¡¯t you feed me any snacks? How much money is he pouring into this place, but you don¡¯t even provide such service.¡± The face came closer. The corners of his eyes dropped down and looked innocent at first glance. He somehow had the appearance of a young boy. The sharp nose bridge and the angular jawline from the chin to the ear gave off a mature male impression, but the eyebrows stretched out like a mane, particularly bright eyes, the tip of the raised lips, and the dishevelled bangs gave off a youthful scent. His voice is low and refreshing like a summer night breeze. ¡°Of course, I have to.¡± When Han Seon-joo replied with a clear answer, Kim Soo-chjan opened his mouth with anticipation like a baby bird. Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t know what to do as he kept clenching his fist. Eventually, Han Seon-joo shoved a large apple into his mouth which he joyfully took and ate. ¡°Can I get you some too?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t know if I¡¯m your hyung or if you are my hyung. That¡¯s okay, he is paying today, so feed him hard until his stomach bursts.¡± Kwon Hee-seong tossed grapes he picked with his hand into the air and ate them. The trick was good, grapes were caught and sucked into Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s mouth. Next to him, Kim Soo-chan nodded, lowering his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, you should only care about me. You should ignore that one.¡± Then why did you bring him? Even if it¡¯s a mannequin, you can¡¯t help but be annoyed by a person with unusual eyes and a face next to you. Seon-joo tried to turn his gaze to Kim Soo-chan. Anyway, money was coming from Kim Soo-chan. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you an omega? Ji-ho, hyung knows a good medicine, would you like to try it? It makes you feel better.¡± ¡°No way. You know what kind of medicine is that too. If I do that, will be cut down right here. Then who will feed me?¡± Han Seon-joo pretended to slit his throat with the blade of his hand and hesitated. It was medicine perfect to trap people. If you touch it once, even out of curiosity, your life will fall into hell rather than just paying off your debts. Even now, the situation I¡¯m in isn¡¯t bright, but I didn¡¯t want to be the one who used drugs. ¡°Ji-ho, if you get fired here, hyung will feed you. I¡¯m capable of that level.¡± Kim Soo-chan frantically hugged Seon-joo shoulder at the charming refusal. His harsh snort brushed against his cheek. It was getting harder and harder to keep his smile. Seon-joo pretended to drink his drink and quickly turned his head away. ¡°There are no side effects. They say that if you take it, even a beta can feel like an omega. Don¡¯t you know how it feels? If alpha touches you, you going to get wet.¡± Of course, Han Seon-joo had also spent the night with an omega customer. It was no different from other betas. Get wet when excited and feel moderate pleasure. It maybe because Han Seon-joo himself is a beta. If he was an alpha, it might have been different as Kim Soo-chan said. It has been said that omegas and alphas have bewitching scent, and that exchanging pheromones with each other feels same pleasure as eating a handful of ecstasy. He wasn¡¯t interested. Han Seon-joo was relieved that he was a beta. Being part of the majority in the world means at least being within the safety line. As the alcohol kept flowing, Kim Soo-chan¡¯s eyes became increasingly greasy. His hand slid into the collar of Han Seon-joo shirt like a snake, to his nape and collarbone, and below to his chest. I don¡¯t even know how I want to break all the knuckles that groped me. Seon-joo looked at Kwon Hee-seong involuntarily in hopes of getting a helping hand. However, there was not even a sign of help. There was only strange interest in his dark pigmented eyes. At the same time, even if Kim Soo-chan grabbed a knife and tried to attack, his eyes were calms as if they would not change. He knew what it mean to kill someone who has no one. ¡°You can¡¯t do this here. You see everything¡­¡± Han Seon-joo shrugged his shoulders and avoided hand groping his chest. Pretending to be shy, pretending to be so sweet as if he would spread his legs right away if he left this place. How can one do something like this casually? Money is the scariest thing in the world. He got goosebumps on his forearms from what was happening. It is said that takes three years even for a dog in seodang to recite poongwol*, and since it was not first time he was dealing with guests, Kim Soo-chan was sending ardent gazes as if he was ready to break even the house rules. He seems more excited because there were onlookers. Sensing trouble, Han Seon-joo carried liquor as hard as a swallow carrying the ground. With this he filled Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s and Kim Soo-chan¡¯s glasses, and his own. Kim Soo-chan was over the moon from happiness with his mouth wide open. ¡°It tastes even better because our Ji-ho feeds me¡± Occasionally tossing out such cheesy words, ¡°There is no place that our Ji-ho is not pretty. The face is pretty, the neck is long and pretty¡­¡± He looked down with a greasy gaze and often threw out crazy flirtations like this. Seon-jo held Kim Soo-chan¡¯s writst as if he kept trying to dig outside a smile that could not be found in a soul. After a few drinks, Kim Soo-chan¡¯s tongue twisted first. His teething intensified. He squeezed his thighs and tried to slip his hands inside. Han Seon-joo cleverly avoided it. ¡°I¡­you Ji-ho¡­I am¡­.You as an omega, ugh¡­.¡± Kim Soo-chan¡¯s face grew red. His eyes lost their focus and he rolled them up so that the whites could be seen. His head was shaking from time to time like a wooden doll, and it seemed that the alcohol had risen to the top of his head. It was clear that he would collapse after a little more, so Han Seon-joo urged him. He stuffed a snack into his mouth and poured a drink. With a hard knock, Kim Soo-chan slammed his head into the table. It was Seon-joo¡¯s victory. ¡°Finally.¡± While he was sighing inside, Han Seon-joo clearly let it out loud. Kwon Hee-seong, who had been watching silently, burst into laughter at that time. His cheerful voice clearly didn¡¯t fit the situation. ¡°I came to watch Soo-chan because he was so proudful. But wow, it¡¯s nothing special really.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you having fun. I am not an omega.¡± ¡°Even if you were an omega, it wouldn¡¯t have been fun. At first glance, I can see you are not the type of person fluent with words, and it was written all over your face that you didn¡¯t want to please him, that you are sticking with him because of money, that you had to come here. And again, since Kim Soo-chan was out of his mind, at first I thought you were some sort of nine-tailed fox who seduced all men¡­But what is this?¡± Kwon Hee-seong greeted Han Seon-joo with light green grapes between his teeth. His gaze came down to the hair, forehead, bridge of the nose, lips, and the flesh between the collar parted by Kim Soo-cha. Han Seon-joo unintentionally buttoned his shirt with his hand. It was only a gaze, but it felt like his cool hand was digging into it. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s a little boring.¡± In spite of poor evaluation, Seon-joo only smiled. It was best to remain calm, wondering where the dog was barking even when customers cursed at him. Compared to the absurd comments thrown by other drunken guests, this was not even ticklish. Kwon Hee-seong personally lifted a bottle and filled Seon-joo¡¯s glass. Han Seon-joo took it with both hands. ¡°Did you sleep with Soo-chan?¡± ¡°No. I only deal with women.¡± ¡°Is it so? Then, you should expand area of service once again. Kim Soo-chan has strong temperament, so if you give it to him once, he will give you a house. Well, looking at what are you doing now, you already have a taste of it.¡± Haha. Han Seon-joo smiled shyly. It¡¯s a cheap body that rolls for pennies, but it¡¯s not desperate enough to deal with a man yet. It wasn¡¯t matter of pride, he just didn¡¯t like it. ____________________________________ *even those who have no experience or knowledge in the field will gain some experience and knowledge over a long period of time by doing things in that field CH 3 Kwon Hee-seong emptied his glass for the last time and put his hand into Kim Soo-chan pocket and took out alpha¡¯s wallet. He took out a pile of thick banknotes from inside without hesitation and put them down in front of Han Seon-joo. At first glance, it was more than the amount received last time. ¡°Take this and leave him be. Someone else will come and pick him up later. Thanks to you, I enjoyed the show.¡± Like a person who has watched unmoving sloth at a zoo for a long time, he was bored, but still paid generously. Han Seon-joo quickly followed and got up. Anyway, the person who gave me the money was my boss, so he bowed at a right angle and said his greetings. ¡°Thank you!¡± Kwon Hee-seong didn¡¯t even look back and just waved his hand. It seems that today is a day of a great luck to leave early but still receive money. Han Seon-joo fiddled stiff bills with his hand. Kwon Hee-seong, who was about to open the door and leave, paused on the spot. He just turned his head and looked at Seon-joo. Han Seon-joo quickly put on back smile he had erased. ¡°You¡­Can do you threesome?¡± Of course. Under the premise that the guest is a woman. It¡¯ wasn¡¯t something Seon-joo hadn¡¯t done before. He was surprised at first, there is nothing he can¡¯t do when it comes to work. ¡°Yes.¡± The corners of his mouth went up as he was about to laugh. ¡°A real slut.¡± Kwon Hee-seong muttered to himself. Before he had time to retort, the door was slammed shut. Only blacked out Kim Soo-chan and Han Seon-joo were left in the room. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Han Seon-joo snorted. Who is that man judge him? Why cursing on person, trying to satisfy his snobbish curiosity about who his friend was bewitched by. In any case, it has been a long time since I threw away my pride in exchange for money. As long as the debts were paid off and the new day started, Han Seon-joo could withstand any insult. Rubbing his fingertips, he counted amount of yellow bills Kwon Hee-seong gave him. This should be enough to buy a few pieces of meat on the way home. The rest will be kept for repaying loan interest, but at least there is something fill his stomach with. As he put remaining fruit snacks into the dried mouth, Han Seon-joo glanced at the Kim Soo-chan head. Wasted person didn¡¯t look like he was in bad condition. Someone else will take of him, so he didn¡¯t need to touch him. He brushed off the area Kim Soo-chan had touched and left the room with indifferent attitude. *** Today I received a generous service fee, so I stopped by a nearby meat restaurant in his spare time. It was unavoidable choice because there was no butcher shop open until late. The owner generously gave him a bag full of raw meat. Although it¡¯s not as cheap as at the butcher¡¯s shop, the quality of the meat is good. It was a chilly day that turned his breath white. As winter was approaching steadily, thin coat wasn¡¯t enough to protect him from the cold. Was there padding left in the dorm? The other day, a customer asked me to go to a department store to buy new clothes, but Han Seon-joo refused, saying he didn¡¯t have time at that time. Looking back, it was a wasted opportunity. Rather than suffering like this,it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to live a better live, by getting funded by someone. Han Seon-joo chuckled helplessly. The store to which he belonged isn¡¯t luxury one, so the probability of asking for extra money is as slim as winning the lottery. Breathing heavily, Han Seon-joo climbed the steep slope. In the early morning, when the light was not yet bright, the sound of footsteps was quite loud, so dogs barked here and there. Street lamps shed dim light on the dark alley, and occasionally motorcycle engine roared in the distance before fading away. On the edge of the hill stood a shabby villa. It was a leaning building that looked like it might collapse at any moment with a lot of age stains on it, even among other looming buildings. As he opened the glass front door and walked down the stairs, Han Seon-joo was greeted by the unprocessed garbage bags and recyclables at the front door. Han Seon-joo hesitated for a moment before pressing the code. Fatigue now clung to his eyelids. All he wanted is to go back to the dorm and lie down on the warm floor and sleep. Let¡¯s just hung the meat bag on the doorknob and text mother¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Seon-joo sighed softly and eventually tapped in the password with caution. As he opened the door, a cold chill hit his nostrils. At least turn on the boiler when it¡¯s cold, but whenever he told them, they never listen. Even if they have to save every penny, this type of thriftiness won¡¯t help anyone. Han Seon-joo took off his shoes without a sound, and headed for the kitchen. ¡°Seon-joo hyung?¡± The sliding door creaked open. A skinny and veiny hand stumbled across the doorway. Han Seon-joo put the meat into the refrigerator and squatted down in front of the dry hands. ¡°Are you awake? Sleep more. Hyung have to go now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, lets sleep together, so you can see mom too.¡± ¡°Where is Mum?¡± ¡°She is in bed. She has to leave at dawn¡±. It was clumsy, stuttering speech, but for Han Seon-joo it was easy to understand. ¡°I told her to stop overdoing it. She needs to rest at home and not get stressed so she doesn¡¯t relapse.¡± ¡°I have told her the same, but she says she is fine. You know mother is so stubborn.¡± The room where his slept was locked in darkness. Even with the lights on, it was always dark. ¡°I¡¯ve got some meat in the fridge, so you can eat it with mum tomorrow. Why did you loose so much weight, do you even eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m eating well. Take care of yourself hyung, are you having a hard time at work?¡± Han Seon-joo¡¯s vision blurred for a moment. He buried his head between his knees and listened to the voice, but when he lifted his head up a bright smile appeared on his face. Even though he knew that his little brother couldn¡¯t see it. He told his little brother that he worked at a normal company. He can¡¯t honestly tell an innocent kid what he was doing or what he¡¯s been through today. ¡°It¡¯s not hard at all. Your hyung¡¯s stamina is amazing, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You should call mum, she is worried.¡± ¡°You should take care of yourself first. I can handle myself.¡± His brother hesitated. Han Seon-joo knew he sounded too harsh, so he quickly changed the subject. ¡°No contact from your other hyung?¡± ¡°Uh, not even a call.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. If you hear from him, call me right away.¡± A chill ran through Han Seon-joo voice as his sincerity leaked out. His brother nodded his head and glanced at Seon-joo. He had incomparable ability to sense the mood without able to see. Or maybe he has developed superior sense instead of eyesight. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m tired, I say mean things. Hae-jin thought that he would rather go home early than stay like this, so he stretched his numb knees. He wanted quietly leave before his mother woke up. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± He put money he received today on the table. That amount of money would be able to keep them fed for a while. His little brother called out for him, as if trying to grab the hem of his shirt. But Han Seon-joo deliberately opened the door loudly. On the way out he didn¡¯t forget turning boiler on before leaving. *** His eyes locked with Kang Yeong-ho¡¯s in the mirror. He walked up to him, with his footsteps muffled as if he was carrying a clod, and put arm around Han Seon-joo shoulders. His weight was considerable, so the body bent forward. ¡°Our number one, Mr.Kang Ji-ho, you look as handsome as ever today.¡± ¡°Hyung is number one.¡± Han Seon-joo, who barely managed to keep the balance, smiled sweetly. Kang Yeong-ho giggled and looked at his face in the mirror. ¡°My cock is bigger than Ji-ho¡¯s but honesly my face a little too plain. Should I break your nose? Then it will be better.¡± ¡°Ah, Yeong-ho hyung, you have no conscience. It¡¯s because Ji-ho can¡¯t keep his mouth shut. Other than that, he is handsome enough to be number one based on his looks. And he is beta, so if you compare to alpha or omega, he is still handsome!¡± In-cheol, who was lying and giggling while watching an anime, punched Kang Yeong-ho. Even to the casual observer there was a significant difference in their appearance. If Kang Yeong-ho was bull-like figure with beady eyes and large nostrils. Han Seon-joo was like a deer with fine lines. Even though Seon-joo isn¡¯t eloquent speaker, but his looks and body were enough to get him a pass from the boss of the shop. There was something about his shiny flowing raven-feathered hair, fair skin without any sign of imperfection, his pale double-lidded and delicate eyes, that made blood of those who saw him boil. The bridge of his nose is high, the tip of his nose is sharp, his lips look like crimson heart pulled out to the side with lower rounded corners, and his hips are firm and well rounded. His waist was narrow and every muscle on his body looked like it had been carefully carved with a sculpting knife. Han Seon-joo had face and body that would make his costumers fall in love with him. ¡°You are so funny. You don¡¯t have to talk or do something unnecessary, just chum in, sing and laugh!¡± The boss emphasized with a lot of spit coming out of his mouth that Han Seon-joo has great future. But after Seon-joo entered his shop, he couldn¡¯t get out for many days ahead. ¡°You son of a bitch¡±, Kang Yeong-ho said and threw his arms around In-cheol¡¯s neck. The bullying continued for a while, and only after In-cheol tapped him on the forearm in a gesture of surrender, did he release his arms as if he was showing a mercy and dropped him on the floor. ¡°Ah, who cares about broken nose, I¡¯m going to win with my cock. Then girls will look after me more. This big cock has perfect balls attached to it. ¡°You¡¯re making a very smart choice.¡± In-cheol knelt down and rubbed his palms side to side as a fly. It was a comedy. Seon-joo laughed as he watched Yeong-ho flair around in the air. He was a man with a surprising amount of resolve, despite his immaturity. CH 4 ¡°Oh, I got some hair.¡± Kang Yeong-ho, who had been rubbing his pants with his hands, looked inside his waistband to see what was causing irritation. As if he had just remembered, In-cheol took off his pants as well. ¡°I¡¯m going to go waxing. I need to make a reservation.¡± ¡°Ah, screw it, it¡¯s so annoying. Ji-ho, wish me well. I don¡¯t want to do it.¡± Among the virtues of the host, the first one is neatness, the second one is neatness, and so is the third one. This was the motto Kang Yeong-ho chanted at the top of his lungs. He used to argue that no customer likes a hairy cock, but he also drunkenly confessed that he thinks even if it¡¯s just a little bit, that a hairless cock looks bigger. As a result, he was doing hair removal periodically, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Han Seon-joo. He didn¡¯t know whether he was destined to be a host or whether it was just a trick of Creation, Seon-joo¡¯s lower body was as smooth as white of a boiled egg. Unlike other people who grow thick beards even if they don¡¯t shave for a day, Seon-joo beard only showed up after about four days. While he was feeling ashamed, Han Seon-joo could only look on with envy at Kang Yeong-ho and In-cheol, who are in endless war with their hair. ¡°I wish I had some hair. I don¡¯t like it because it doesn¡¯t look right. Even when I go to the bathroom or sauna, people keep staring.¡± His calves and armpits were also smooth, so changing in front his classmates was a bit of a struggle when he was still in school. It¡¯s also a little hurtful to be an adult and have a customer telling him that he still looks like a child. When Han Seon-joo touched his chin and grunted, Kang Yeong-ho snorted and scolded him for talking nonsense. ¡°How annoying. Your attitude is shit, man. Hey In-cheol-ah let¡¯s make a reservation.¡± Kang Yeong-ho moved to the couch and grabbed his phone in a determined manner. Han Seon-joo also settled in, relaxed and waited for the call. Since it was a weekday, the shop was more crowded than usual. Even before the store opened today, the boss was sighing heavily and yelled at me that sales had plummeted, telling me to work harder. When he checked his phone, his inbox was filled with texts from loan sharks demanding he pay up. It¡¯s illegal to harass family members, but the loan sharks don¡¯t care. Whether it was avoiding the law or the lawless area where he was, Han Seon-joo looked for every opportunity to squeeze every last penny out of it. While thinking about it Han Seon-joo stuffed his cell phone into his pocket, hoping not to get another reminder text. Soon the door opened, and the toadlike employee poked his head in. He scanned the waiting room and his eyes widened when he spotted Seon-joo. ¡°Hyung! You got an order. The man from another day.¡± If you say ¡°the man from another day¡±, there is only one man. Han Seon-joo covered his face with his hand in annoyance. ¡°Are you talking about that kid again? Ah, why does that bastard keep coming here looking for Ji-ho? He should go to the omega club. Fucking perverted bastard.¡± When Kang Yeong-ho, who was next to him, shouted profanities one after another on behalf of Han Seon-joo, the toadlike employee got frightened out of his wits. Seon-joo patted Kang Yeong-ho on the shoulder to calm him down. He was relieved to see that he hadn¡¯t visited for a few days, so maybe his interest had faded. ¡°It¡¯s okay, hyung. He paid me a lot of money. ¡°If he comes all the way here and doesn¡¯t give you money, will he turn into a new person? It¡¯s your choice, but if you don¡¯t want to do it, don¡¯t go, hyung will deal with him. I¡¯ll bury that little mouse without a trace.¡± It may be a bluff, but Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t hate those words of concern. The toadlike employee impatiently stamped his feet, urging Han Seon-joo to come out. He shrugged his shoulders at Kang Yeong-ho¡¯s gaze, but he was faithful to his job. Han Seon-joo headed out, trembling. ¡°Thank you hyung, I¡¯m glad I have you. I¡¯ll be back.¡± What could go wrong? It grossed him out, but like last time, he just have to make him drunk quickly and slip out while he is asleep. ¡°Did Kim Soo-chan come alone?¡± He asked a toadlike employee who was leading the way. It was because Han Seon-joo suddenly remembered the person he had come with the other day. What was his name? He only remembered his last name, but not his first name. His appearance was still vivid in his memory. The raised corners of the mouth and the dark eyebrows sticking out like twigs. ¡°No. There are two of them. I think that¡¯s the guys from the last time as well.¡± Han Seon-joo eyebrows furrowed. Soo-chan is the one who wags his tail, so it¡¯s obvious he showed up, but is why the man who criticised me for being boring last time, crawling in again? Is he once again going to play the role of a bystander watching two of them do their thing? He was a man whose eyes were burdensome. I never felt embarrassed when several people were mingling, but the man¡¯s gaze somehow felt as if he was forcibly taking away even a thread Seon-joo was barely holding onto. However, he had that boyish side that made him look innocent. ¡°¡­Hyung. This is maybe just my feelings, but I think you should be careful today. Kim Soo-chan is a little too excited. His eyes are glassy. I think he is on drugs.¡± ¡°He is on drugs? But why didn¡¯t security stop him?¡± ¡°The manager let him in because he is bringing money to the store. In any case, take care of yourself.¡± Up until this point, the majority of the guests were women, so their drug-fuelled rampage hadn¡¯t resulted in much bloodshed, but Kim Soo-chan was a man and an alpha who was physically stronger than the average person. No matter how much security one has, it¡¯s hard to stop things from happening. In the end, Han Seon-joo was the one who suffered injuries. If he is lucky, he is going to get hit. But if he isn¡¯t lucky it can be so much worse. Seon-joo pulled his sleeves down and straightened his back. It¡¯s been a while since he received a drugged customer. He had his neck scratched by fingernails, his cheeks slapped, and his thighs stomped on by high heels. Han Seon-joo comforted himself, by thinking that if he stayed alert, he would be able to avoid being injured badly. After a pause, Han Seon-joo let out a short breath and knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Seon-joo hid his nervous expression and smiled brightly. When the dimple on his left cheek was hollowed out, the corners of his eyes were loose, and his lips were pulled up, his usual expression appeared. He bowed his head and looked at Kim Soo-chan, who looked no different than usual. Usually, he was a person with bright eyes. But today he was more excited than usual, his face flushed and he was watching Seon-joo like a dog on the hunt, but at least he didn¡¯t look like a drugged-out lunatic. I turned my gaze and looked at Kwon Hee-seong. Just like last time, his eyes were dull. Just childish curiosity flickered in his eyes, wondering how Han Seon-joo would deal with Soo-chan. Han Seon-joo swallowed hard. Kwon Hee-seong is the only one who can stop Kim Soo-chan if he does something weird, but judging by the way the corners of his mouth turn up, he¡¯ll just chuckle and watch the bloodshed. No one was on Seon-joo¡¯s side here. ¡°Come here. Why are you standing so far away, come on.¡± The atmosphere in the room was different than before, and as I stood there frozen, Kim Soo-chan came over and pulled my arm. He sits down next to me and puts his arm around my shoulders, so I can¡¯t run away. The way he gripped my forearms was always very unpleasant. Ignoring unpleasant pain, Han Seon-joo smiled. He quickly filled the empty glass with liquor and placed it in Kim Soo-chan¡¯s hand. Kim Soo-chan emptied his glass without taking his eyes off Seon-joo. ¡°Ji-ho-ya, your hyung is in a really good mood today.¡± ¡°Did something good happen to you?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Kim Soo-chan smirked and pushed an empty glass. Han Seon-joo followed diligently, pointing at the anchovies with the tip of his chin. Soo-chan bit into them like a bird. Even during the brief moment of drinking, Kim Soo-chan fixed his eyes on Han Seon-joo, so cold sweat broke out on his back. He tried to force a smile, but his face remained stiff. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday today.¡± ¡°Really? Congratulations, hyung!¡± ¡°Should I sing a song?¡± Seon-joo awkwardly grabbed his glass and tried to distance himself from Kim Soo-chan. Kim Soo-chan stuck to him like a tick. After rubbing his forearm, he touched Seon-joo¡¯s elbow, then ran down his forearm and put his hand on the back of Seon-joo¡¯s hand. ¡°I want a present.¡± Something has to happen. Han Seon-joo swallowed the drink and touched the back of his neck. A man who throws money in the air will not return home with only a few drinks in his hand. There is a reason why men open their wallets. ¡°Hyung, with a man¡­¡± Pulling his head back, Seon-joo flinched. ¡°You¡¯ve never done it before? That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll treat you well.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Han Seon-joo glanced sideways at the seat next to him. If he knows that his friend is going crazy, shouldn¡¯t he at least show some sincerity to stop it? I hoped in vain. Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s eyes were still as indifferent as if watching a tv show on the screen. His lips, oddly twisted, were halfway between a smile and a frown. The only person who can overcome this crisis is himself, so Seon-joo twisted his shoulder and struggled to get out of Kim Soo-chan¡¯s arms. The power of the hungry arms that wrapped around my forearms felt crushing. Being an alpha, the difference in strength was overwhelming, even though he was the same man. ¡°My mind wasn¡¯t ready today, and my body wasn¡¯t ready. I¡¯m beta¡­next time you come¡­¡± He tried to sweet talk him by saying he would try hard to please him next time, but by that time Han Seon-joow would be long gone from the shop. Pfft! Kwon Hee-seong burst into laughter instead. ¡°Did you hear it? He told you to come next time.¡± It was a futile attempt. Han Seon-joo thought he¡¯d get tired of the constant rejections and walk away, but he stuck to him like a tick. Soo-chan¡¯s breath, which smelled like alcohol, brushed against his cheeks, causing hair to stand up on the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± He was giggling like a pervert as if something great was to happen. He may have taken some drugs as the manager said. As much as Han Seon-joo wanted to get him drunk and get out of there, Soo-chan didn¡¯t even bother with the drinks. Instead, he put the tip of his nose on the nape of Han Seon-joo¡¯s neck and rubbed it. Han Seon-joo grabbed a glass of liquor. The veins and joints on the back of his hand stood out. All he wanted was to shake that alpha off and get out, but he was not in a position to do so. The madness in Kim Soo-chan¡¯s eyes flashed as if he was going to get the deed done today. Han Seon-joo urgently needed to figure out what to do now, but his brain was blank and refused to cooperate. ¡°Then I will do it for you.¡± CH 5 Kim Soo-chan¡¯s words made Han Seon-joo¡¯s eyes widen. He wondered what he had heard. When Han Seon-joo looked at him with surprised eyes, unable to guess the meaning of what that man was planning to do, Kim Soo-chan stretched his lips into a frog-like grin and gently rubbed his hand over Han Seon-joo¡¯s thigh. Seon-joo nervously put his legs together. However, Kim Soo-chan¡¯s hand wandered in the air and touched his thigh again. ¡°I will suck you, Ji-ho-ya.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± A curse came out of Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s mouth. His face twisted as if he was genuinely disgusted. The canines peeking out from between his twisted lips were white and large as if they were attached to his mouth. Seon-joo too, wanted to swear just like Kwon Hee-seong. However, he reassured himself that he should stay as calm as possible. He didn¡¯t want to put his stuff in the man¡¯s mouth even if he was in the receiving position. Especially into Kim Soo-chan¡¯s mouth. Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine. Of course, Kim Soo-chan had something else in mind. Ignoring the look on Han Seon-joo¡¯s face, Soo-chan slid off the sofa. Sometimes, when dealing with impatient guests, Han Seon-joo has been known to take care of business in the room instead of going to another property, but that was when he was with a woman. Seon-joo grabbed Kim Soo-chan¡¯s shoulder, telling him ¡°This is not right¡±. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Can¡¯t we just drink, hyung? Things like this are hard. I don¡¯t want to see you struggle, either.¡± As if this was all for the good of the other party, Han Seon-joo cleared his throat. Kwon Hee-seong couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, clutching his drink. He was an unhelpful man. ¡°I do it because I want to.¡± ¡°We are not alone¡­¡± He glanced at Kwon Hee-seong and tried to make an excuse. Kwon Hee-seong shrugged his shoulders and spoke up. ¡°??Just give it to him. I think he is going to stay like this the whole night. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s asking you to do it, he¡¯s just giving it to you instead.¡± That was none of his business. Han Seon-joo quickly hid his disgusted expression and looked away in embarrassment. It backfired. Kim Soo-chan snorted, grabbing Seon-joo¡¯s knees and tearing them apart. He slammed his face into the groin, but the pain rather than the excitement, caused Han Seon-joo to jerk his shoulders. A gasp escaped his lips. Kim Soo-chan pulled down Han Seon-joo¡¯s pants. This was the first time he¡¯d ever had a man lunge at him, and he panicked, unable to push his head away. In his mind, he wanted to kick Soo-chan¡¯s ass and get out of here, but the reality was something else entirely. Kim Soo-chan¡¯s eyes rolled up and he nibbled at Han Seon-joo¡¯s groin like a baby. Seon-joo swallowed hard. Kim Soo-chan glanced up and flicked his tongue at the pillar. Han Seon-joo grabbed Kim Soo-chan¡¯s hair and almost pulled it out like a weed. But he resisted the urge by scratching the sofa with his fingernails. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± It was just as he imagined. His lower part just shrunk in response to unwanted action. Kim Soo-chan made wet noises as he sucked and poked and licked the shaft with his tongue, determined to make it stand up somehow. But like an eunuch, Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t respond. It is natural to get erected at direct stimulation, but this situation was beyond Han Seon-joo¡¯s tolerance. It was like being the first person in a horror movie to be eaten by an unknown creature. It was disgusting. He wanted to escape, but he couldn¡¯t because Soo-chan was clenching his ass tightly. Could he hit a customer¡¯s head with a bottle of liquor, maybe?¡­ ¡°Tongue, wait, hyung¡­Stop¡­¡± Kim Soo-chan persistently put Seon-joo¡¯s genitals in his mouth and harassed it. Even if Han Seon-joo twisted his waist away, Soo-chan didn¡¯t let go. He feels like he¡¯s fallen into the mud, but his stimulated body is slowly getting aroused, and his cheeky cock pokes its head out. As Han Seon-joo shakes his head in disbelief, his eyes suddenly lock with Kwon Hee-seong. Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been, but Kwon Hee-seong was watching two of them with his head high in his drink. He didn¡¯t have the shiny eyes of a spectator as if he would find more interest in seeing insects mating in a documentary. There was not the slightest interest in his eyes. Until he made eye contact with Han Seon-joo. The corners of Hee-seong¡¯s mouth twitched upwards as Han Seon-joo looked at him as if desperately pleading for help. After that, he just leaned back leisurely on the sofa and watched the two of them doing their thing. Even when Han Seon-joo begged him silently to remove that head, Kwon Hee-seong didn¡¯t budge. Instead, slowly wetting his lips with alcohol, he kept staring at Han Seon-joo. Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s gaze travelled over his hair-draped forehead, across his furrowed brow and down the bridge of his nose to his lips and briefly stopped on his cheek. It gradually slid down, scanning the straight jawline and neckline. Han Seon-joo turned his head quickly. It felt hot wherever Kwon Hee-seong looked, in particular, Seon-joo lips were burning as well as dimples that were revealed on his cheek from tightly gritted teeth. His gaze roamed over Seon-joo¡¯s earlobe, licking his neckline, then slipped down and into his shirt. His gaze is like a snake, that warmed up in the sun, rattling its scales, slithering down his spine and below. His nipples, which had never been touched by anyone, stood up firmly, and his lower body tensed. Kim Soo-chan chuckled. Seon-joo couldn¡¯t tell if the tongue wrapped around his genitals was Kim Soo-chan¡¯s or someone else¡¯s. His head gradually went blank. The corners of his tightly clenched lips parted, letting a sweet gasp escape. Seon-joo grabbed the table and struggled to endure that torture. Han Seon-joo hates this situation. ¡°It¡¯s terrible, it¡¯s torture¡±, even though he keeps repeating those negative words to suppress his senses. However, the gaze that slipped into his clothes and the way Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s eyes reached his chest and followed down below, made the nape of his neck tingle and his hair stand on end. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He is going crazy, his genitals become stiff. But he doesn¡¯t want to see Kim Soo-chan¡¯s head moving up and down, nor the reaction of his own body, so Seon-joo squeezes his eyes shut. And yet, he feels that burning gaze. What is he looking at? My reaction, or my body? His cheeks are burning hot. He thought he was experienced enough to the point of being worn out, but there was still shame left in him. ¡°Ah!¡­.Huh.¡± That burning gaze was too much for him to bear, so he turned his head away from Kwon Hee-seong. That gaze that reached from the side was so intense, Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t know how to break away from it. As if the sunlight has gone through the magnifying glass, the heat on the nape of his neck run through his veins and heated his whole body. Heat also gathered below his navel. As if it wasn¡¯t enough. As if in need of more stimulation, his tightly gripped waist sways and bounced. Han Seon-joon didn¡¯t want to ejaculate into Kim Soo-chan¡¯s mouth, even if he dies. So he bent and begged. ¡°Please stop! Please.¡± He wasn¡¯t worried he would make a huge mistake by doing this. But begging didn¡¯t work with Kim Soo-chan. He bit and sucked even harder. The pain was stronger than the pleasure, and Han Seon-joo squeezed his eyes shut. Tears dangled from the tips of his eyes. ¡°Stop¡­¡± He opened his tightly closed eyes. His eyes drifted to the other side of the room. Back to the source of the burning gaze. The gaze was still there. His brown eyes as dark colour as liquor in his hand, were darker than they had been at first. ¡°¡­Huh!¡± As if his body had been pierced by an arrow, Han Seon-joo¡¯s shoulders jerked violently. For a moment, a jolt of electricity ran from the top of his head to his toes, escaping between his legs. When Kim Soo-chan removed his head, the white liquid burst out once more and scattered on the floor. The drowsy feeling of exhaustion was short-lived, and Seon-joo hurriedly pulled his pants up. Kim Soo-chan wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood up. There was a noticeable bulge between his legs. ¡°Do you know how it works, right? Now it¡¯s my turn.¡± In an instant, the blood drained from Seon-joo¡¯s face. Soo-chan¡¯s sucking was terrible, and now that alpha was telling him to put it into his mouth. Han Seon-joo felt he would rather be sentenced to death by cutting his own throat. He shook his head, forgetting the etiquette he has to keep in front of customers, trying to deny the inevitable to happen. But he was so flustered, he has become speechless. Kim Soo-chan gasped and unbuckled his belt, saying he would like it. Seon-joo leaned back as if he was trying to become one with the sofa, and looked alternately at Kim Soo-chan and Kwon Hee-seong. Kim Soo-chan excitedly stretched out his arms in the direction Han Seon-joo¡¯s face. The hand cast a shadow over Seon-joo¡¯s head. Just as his hair was about to stand on end, there was a loud bang and something hit the wall. The glass shattered and fell to the floor in a huddle, its contents splashing everywhere, leaving a dark pattern on the wallpaper. With his hands in the air, Kim Soo-chan paused. His head turned towards the wall and then slowly turned away, in the direction where the glass came flying between the two of them. ¡°Hey! You crazy¡­¡± Kim Soo-chan clenched his teeth. Kwon Hee-seong was the culprit. He looked down and for some reason threw the glass in his hand, and was about to pull another empty glass in front of him. The smiling face was still there. It was an innocent expression that made it hard to believe that Kwon Hee-seong had thrown it, had it not been for the glass fragments at Seon-joo¡¯s feet. Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s expression did not change when he spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The implication was that he¡¯d let him off the hook once, but not twice. Kim Soo-chan gritted his teeth and pumped his fists. ¡°You bastard.¡± Kwon Hee-seong calmly poured alcohol into a new glass, regardless of the fact his opponent was trying to intimidate him. The glass was emptied in a flash. ¡°You just sucked him, what more do you want? Don¡¯t be a dick Soo-chan, let him go.¡± ¡°Fuck it, it¡¯s natural to want one too. It¡¯s not fair to let him go.¡± Kim Soo-chan grabbed Seon-joo¡¯s head. Seon-joo gripped alpha¡¯s wrist and looked at Kwon Hee-seong. He was in a situation where he would stay on his knees for a long time, if Seon-joo turned away from this chance. Han Seon-joo swallowed hard and looked up Kwon Hee-seong desperately. He was the only one he could trust right now. CH 6 Kwon Hee-Seong sighed heavily and pushed back his dishevelled hair. Irritation flashed across his face. His eyebrows were furrowing, and he flashed his teeth. ¡°I said, it¡¯s enough Soo-chan. Think about how I would feel having to see your dick. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Kwon Hee-Seong buried his hands into the pockets of his trousers and glanced down at Kim Soo-chan. His lips tilted to one side as if he were mocking the man for being obsessed with another man¡¯s cock. At that blunt contempt, Kim Soo-chan¡¯s face flashed red. He eventually let go of Han Seon-Joo¡¯s hair. ¡°Today is not the only day. How are you going to live when you are lacking any patience?¡­What are you doing? Not leaving.¡± Kwon Hee-Seong winked at Seon-Joo and pointed to the door with his chin. There was no way Han Seon-Joo would miss such an opportunity. He didn¡¯t have time to thank Kwon Hee-Seong and left the room in a hurry without looking back. Behind the closed door, something crashed and shattered. Han Seon-Joo winced and peered through the small panel of glass in the door. Kim Soo-chan was furiously waving his arms across the table. Kwon Hee-Seong, on the other hand, was completely unfazed by Kim Soo-chan¡¯s cursing in front of him. He dug his ear as if looking at the dog barking with all its might, then moved his eyes to the door as if he felt Han Seon-Joo¡¯s gaze. Their eyes met through the glass. Brown eyes are as calm and as clear as the surface of the water in the pool. Kwon Hee-Seong smiled and waved gently. It was a gesture to ¡°get the hell out of here¡±. Maybe Kwon Hee-Seong is even crazier than Kim Soo-chan. The back of his neck was throbbing, Han Seon-Joo sighed and left the place. *** What happened today made it clear what Kim Soo-chan wanted from me. If he lusted for my body, he would have given me money and shoved his cock in my mouth, not going down and sucking my cock. I have had guests who were like that before. People who want love more than sexual pleasures, those who want to be real lovers. Kim Soo-chan was one of those. If I let him be he would want to get even more than what he did to him today. I have to cut him off before it¡¯s too late. A similar incident happened to Kang Yeong-ho in the past. At first, it was a timid and quite customer, but that person gradually became more and more demanding to make sure Kang Yeong-ho would fall in love with them. What started with simple requests to date outside the bar, gradually turned into threats to quit the establishment. Eventually, Kang Yeong-ho rejected the guest, saying that he didn¡¯t deserve such feelings, which drove that person mad, and one day she came to him with a knife and went on a rampage at the store. Luckily, a patrol was passing through the area and it ended up being a simple business disruption without any bloodshed. After that Kang Yeong-ho and Han Seon-Joo refused to accept customers who asked for romantic feelings, fearing that they would become a source of danger in the future. As soon as Han Seon-Joo left the room he headed to the owner¡¯s office. The boss, who was having his nails done, jumped out of his chair in surprise. His voice was higher than usual. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± There was no way the boss didn¡¯t know. He was the one who pushed Han Seon-Joo into this trap because the customer was rich. ¡°Please block Kim Soo-chan.¡± There was no point for me to beat around the bush. The boss pressed his lips together and fell back in his chair. Drawing a long sigh, the boss brought his fingernails to the edge of his mouth and blew on them. ¡°I thought it was something serious.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say at the beginning of the contract that I would only accept female customers?¡± ¡°Oh well, I mean, how do you separate the men and women of all ages and traits when running a business like ours? You know most of our customers are women anyways. Sometimes a guy comes along. Why are you so sensitive Ji-ho, when other kids are doing just fine without any complaints?¡± Nothing is stopping another Kang Yeong-ho situation from happening. If Kim Soo-chan ends up with a knife in his hand, there is no guarantee that it would not be a bloodshed. I rushed into his office to prevent it, but he just stares at his fingernails?! ¡°Boss¡±, Han Seon-Joo called him out with disapproving voice. ¡°Hey Ji-ho, you know we are not doing so well these days. How many people open their wallets like that one? It¡¯s life, just accept it. What can I do if you are that beautiful? For a moment, I was furious. I also didn¡¯t want to continue working for a business that didn¡¯t protect its employees. I tried to push down on the impulse, but the words beat me to it. ¡°Then I will quit.¡± I have received all the advance money anyways from work, so if I don¡¯t have that much determination, I won¡¯t be able to cut Kim Soo-chan off. The boss, who was preoccupied with his nails, finally looked at Han Seon-Joo through his fingers. Han Seon-Joo hunched his shoulders as he carried the burden on his back. His still-damp crotch was a source of distress. The pleasure of ejaculating was nowhere to be found. He tried to play it off by, hiding his impatience to get back to his lodgings and scrab off his skin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say something like that.¡± The boss turned his chair, which was slightly out of position, to face him. His eyebrows rose. ¡°If you¡¯re quitting, where are you going? I don¡¯t know many shops that accept betas these days. And from what I heard, you didn¡¯t suck it, but you received a head instead.¡± I knew it. The boss knew about what happened because of CCTV in the room. But when Han Seon-Joo ran into his office, he pretended to know nothing. ¡°I will quit after this week.¡± Han Seon-Joo had nothing left but to repeat the same words as a parrot. Unfazed, the boss stopped talking and ran a hand through his hair. A hint of irritation crossed his face. ¡°Seon-Jooya. Think again. Is there a shop that will hire beta?¡± The boss frowned, referring to him by his real name. With a frustrated look on his face, he pulls a cigarette out of his drawer, lights it, and takes a deep drag. The boss was the only one who was allowed smoking indoors. The boss looked at Han Seon-Joo through the white smoke. A gentle smile curved the corners of his mouth as if to soothe a crying child. ¡°Okay. You have every right to be upset, but that¡¯s what selling your body is all about. It¡¯s the same everywhere. If you listen to the stories about other shops, we do really care about you guys. Elsewhere, the slightest mistake and you¡¯re going to get hit in the head with a bottle.¡± The boss gently pleaded with him. Han Seon-Joo knew it as well. Just like the boss said, there were not so many shops around that hired betas. And even if there was such a place, it was the lowest of the low, where all sorts of perverts would gather. ¡°¡­If you really don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m not normally supposed to, but I¡¯ll try to block Kim Soo-chan. But you know you¡¯re supposed to make more money instead, right? This month you¡¯re the best you¡¯ve ever been, but hey, it¡¯s not going to last forever. I¡¯m not implying anything, but you know that¡¯s just how life goes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t say you¡¯re quitting. I feel so bad for Han Seon-Joo, what will happen to our shop if you leave?¡± I swallowed it with frustration, but honestly, I wanted my boss to stop me. I didn¡¯t have the skills to do anything else, and it¡¯s hard to find a job that pays this much overnight. As the feelings subsided, reality set in. I was too embarrassed to admit my mistake right away. The boss flicked the end of his cigarette into the ashtray. ¡°Then I¡¯ll know you¡¯re on hold. Leave work early today. You must be tired.¡± And he waved his hand in the air. When the boss took a step back, he had to take it without a complaint, so Han Seon-Joo bowed and left the boss¡¯s office. *** I was so tired that I couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. I hadn¡¯t been working all night, but my mind and body were all worn out. Han Seon-Joo returned to his lodgings. It was a cheap room given away by a shop for people who had nowhere else to go. Three people, including Han Seon-Joo, were living together here. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I headed for the bathroom. It was a cramped bathroom with one sink, a toilet, an old washing machine, and purple tiles all over the place. I scrubbed my body harshly under the shower, with the cold and hot water pouring down on me. The delicate skin instantly turned red. I wanted my skin to peel, and I wanted the feel and memory of Kim Soo-chan¡¯s tongue to fade. I took a much longer than normal shower, alternating between body wash and soap. In the fridge, stained by handprints, were yesterday¡¯s leftover chicken and a new can of beer. Just by looking at it, the smell of alcohol travelled from my nose up my throat and back down my oesophagus, and I quickly closed the fridge door. I dried my hair and curled up on the futon, an ancient remnant of my pre-work life. Looking back, I was very fortunate. I can¡¯t believe I yelled about quitting without a second thought. What if the boss said that he knew everything and that he doesn¡¯t mind firing me? There was a part of me that believed that this month¡¯s earnings would be just as good as last month¡¯s. But such thoughts are extremely reckless. Seon-Joo closed his eyes, vowing to be more careful next time. Then he raised his eyelids in surprise. The events of the last night flashed through his mind. He remembered the stare that was piercing his cheek like a burning arrowhead, more than the disgusting head stuck to his crotch. Seon-Joo slowly rubbed his cheek with his hand. He felt the gaze travel from his earlobe to his neckline and then below, even though there was no physical presence. His fingertips lazily retraced the path. Then he stopped and slammed his palm against his face. The popping sound and searing pain brought him back to reality. ¡°¡­What am I doing¡­¡± Am I drunk or gone crazy? Han Seon-Joo waved his hand in the air and rolled over. Feeling pathetic about this, he slammed his forehead into the soft pillow. Kwon Hee-Seong buried his hands into the pockets of his trousers and glanced down at Kim Soo-chan. His lips tilted to one side as if he were mocking the man for being obsessed with another man¡¯s cock. At that blunt contempt, Kim Soo-chan¡¯s face flashed red. He eventually let go of Han Seon-Joo¡¯s hair. ¡°Today is not the only day. How are you going to live when you are lacking any patience?¡­What are you doing? Not leaving.¡± Kwon Hee-Seong winked at Seon-Joo and pointed to the door with his chin. There was no way Han Seon-Joo would miss such an opportunity. He didn¡¯t have time to thank Kwon Hee-Seong and left the room in a hurry without looking back. Behind the closed door, something crashed and shattered. Han Seon-Joo winced and peered through the small panel of glass in the door. Kim Soo-chan was furiously waving his arms across the table. Kwon Hee-Seong, on the other hand, was completely unfazed by Kim Soo-chan¡¯s cursing in front of him. He dug his ear as if looking at the dog barking with all its might, then moved his eyes to the door as if he felt Han Seon-Joo¡¯s gaze. Their eyes met through the glass. Brown eyes are as calm and as clear as the surface of the water in the pool. Kwon Hee-Seong smiled and waved gently. It was a gesture to ¡°get the hell out of here¡±. Maybe Kwon Hee-Seong is even crazier than Kim Soo-chan. The back of his neck was throbbing, Han Seon-Joo sighed and left the place. *** What happened today made it clear what Kim Soo-chan wanted from me. If he lusted for my body, he would have given me money and shoved his cock in my mouth, not going down and sucking my cock. I have had guests who were like that before. People who want love more than sexual pleasures, those who want to be real lovers. Kim Soo-chan was one of those. If I let him be he would want to get even more than what he did to him today. I have to cut him off before it¡¯s too late. A similar incident happened to Kang Yeong-ho in the past. At first, it was a timid and quiet customer, but that person gradually became more and more demanding to make sure Kang Yeong-ho would fall in love with them. What started with simple requests to date outside the bar, gradually turned into threats to quit the establishment. Eventually, Kang Yeong-ho rejected the guest, saying that he didn¡¯t deserve such feelings, which drove that person mad, and one day he came to him with a knife and went on a rampage at the store. Luckily, a patrol was passing through the area and it ended up being a simple business disruption without any bloodshed. After that Kang Yeong-ho and Han Seon-Joo refused to accept customers who asked for romantic feelings, fearing that they would become a source of danger in the future. As soon as Han Seon-Joo left the room he headed to the owner¡¯s office. The boss, who was having his nails done, jumped out of his chair in surprise. His voice was higher than usual. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± There was no way the boss didn¡¯t know. He was the one who pushed Han Seon-Joo into this trap because the customer was rich. ¡°Please block Kim Soo-chan.¡± There was no point for me to beat around the bush. The boss pressed his lips together and fell back in his chair. Drawing a long sigh, the boss brought his fingernails to the edge of his mouth and blew on them. ¡°I thought it was something serious.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say at the beginning of the contract that I would only accept female customers?¡± ¡°Oh well, I mean, how do you separate the men and women of all ages and traits when running a business like ours? You know most of our customers are women anyways. Sometimes a guy comes along. Why are you so sensitive Ji-ho, when other kids are doing just fine without any complaints?¡± Nothing is stopping another Kang Yeong-ho situation from happening. If Kim Soo-chan ends up with a knife in his hand, there is no guarantee that it would not be bloodshed. I rushed into his office to prevent it, but he just stares at his fingernails?! ¡°Boss¡±, Han Seon-Joo called him out with disproving voice. ¡°Hey Ji-ho, you know we are not doing so well these days. How many people open their wallets like that one? It¡¯s life, just accept it. What can I do if you are that beautiful? For a moment, I was furious. I also didn¡¯t want to continue working for a business that didn¡¯t protect its employees. I tried to push down on the impulse, but the words beat me to it. ¡°Then I will quit.¡± I have received all the advance money anyways from work, so if I don¡¯t have that much determination, I won¡¯t be able to cut Kim Soo-chan off. The boss, who was preoccupied with his nails, finally looked at Han Seon-Joo through his fingers. Han Seon-Joo hunched his shoulders as he carried the burden on his back. His still-damp crotch was a source of distress. The pleasure of ejaculating was nowhere to be found. He tried to play it off by, hiding his impatience to get back to his lodgings and scrab off his skin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say something like that.¡± The boss turned his chair, which was slightly out of position, to face him. His eyebrows rose. ¡°If you¡¯re quitting, where are you going? I don¡¯t know many shops accept betas these days. And from what I heard, you didn¡¯t suck it, but you received a head instead.¡± I knew it. The boss knew about what happened because of CCTV in the room. But when Han Seon-Joo ran into his office, he pretended to know nothing. ¡°I will quit after this week.¡± Han Seon-Joo had nothing left but to repeat the same words as a parrot. Unfazed, the boss stopped talking and ran a hand through his hair. A hint of irritation crossed his face. ¡°Seon-Jooya. Think again. Is there a shop that will hire beta?¡± The boss frowned, referring to him by his real name. With a frustrated look on his face, he pulls a cigarette out of his drawer, lights it, and takes a deep drag. The boss was the only one who was comfortable smoking indoors. The boss looked at Han Seon-Joo through the white smoke. A gentle smile curved the corners of his mouth as if to soothe a crying child. ¡°Okay. You have every right to be upset, but that¡¯s what selling your body is all about. It¡¯s the same everywhere. If you listen to the stories about other shops, we do really care about you guys. Elsewhere, the slightest mistake and you¡¯re going to get hit in the head with a bottle.¡± The boss gently pleaded with him. Han Seon-Joo knew it as well. Just like the boss said, there were not so many shops around that hired betas. And even if there was such a place, it was the lowest of the low, where all sorts of perverts would gather. ¡°¡­If you really don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m not normally supposed to, but I¡¯ll try to block Kim. But you know you¡¯re supposed to make more money instead, right? This month you¡¯re the best you¡¯ve ever been, but hey, you never know not is going to last forever. I¡¯m not implying anything, but you know that¡¯s just how life goes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t say you¡¯re quitting. I feel so bad for Han Seon-Joo, what will happen to our shop if you leave?¡± I swallowed it with frustration, but honestly, I wanted my boss to stop me. I didn¡¯t have the skills to do anything else, and it¡¯s hard to find a job that pays this much overnight. As the feelings subsided, reality set in. I was too embarrassed to admit my mistake right away. The boss flicked the end of his cigarette into the ashtray. ¡°Then I¡¯ll know you¡¯re on hold. Leave work early today. You must be tired.¡± And he waved his hand in the air. When the boss took a step back, he had to take it without a complaint, so Han Seon-Joo bowed and left the boss¡¯s office. *** I was so tired that I couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. I hadn¡¯t been working all night, but my mind and body were all worn out. Han Seon-Joo returned to his lodgings. It was a cheap room given away by a shop for people who had nowhere to go. Three people, including Han Seon-Joo, were living together here. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, I headed for the bathroom. It was a cramped bathroom with one sink, a toilet, an old washing machine, and purple tiles all over the place. I scrubbed my body harshly under the shower, with the cold and hot water pouring down on me. The delicate skin instantly turned red. I wanted my skin to peel, and I wanted the feel and memory of Kim Soo-chan¡¯s tongue to fade. I took a much longer than normal shower, alternating between body wash and soap. In the fridge, stained by handprints, were yesterday¡¯s leftover chicken and a new can of beer. Just by looking at it, the smell of alcohol travelled from my nose up my throat and back down my oesophagus, and I quickly closed the fridge door. I dried my hair and curled up on the futon, an ancient remnant of my pre-work life. Looking back, I was very fortunate. I can¡¯t believe I yelled about quitting without a second thought. What if the boss said that he knew everything and that he doesn¡¯t mind firing me? There was a part of me that believed that this month¡¯s earnings would be just as good as last month¡¯s. But such thoughts are extremely reckless. Seon-Joo closed his eyes, vowing to be more careful next time. Then he raised his eyelids in surprise. The events of the last night flashed through his mind. He remembered the stare that was piercing his cheek like a burning arrowhead, more than the disgusting head stuck to his crotch. Seon-Joo slowly rubbed his cheek with his hand. He remembered how the gaze he felt, travel from his earlobe to his neckline and then down below, even though there was no physical presence. His fingertips lazily retraced the path. Then he stopped and slammed his palm against his face. The popping sound and searing pain brought him back to reality. ¡°¡­What am I doing¡­¡± Am I drunk or gone crazy? Han Seon-Joo waved his hand in the air and rolled over. Feeling pathetic about this, he slammed his forehead into the soft pillow. CH 7 Working at night was not enough to pay off my debts, so I found a job during the day. It was a petrol station in the middle of the city, for five days a week. It is a place where the so-called chairman¡¯s chauffeurs are maintaining some kind of deal, so there were many expensive cars. Sometimes, if I was lucky, I was given a small amount of pocket money for my hard work. Most importantly, the boss was frequently out of town. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Seon-Joo tilted his head, cupping his palms around the back of his neck. He didn¡¯t get much sleep last night as he was trying to catch up with a guest who came over for a second time. He knows very well his limits and stamina when it comes to drinking, so he thought it would be an easy one. However, even after eating bean sprout soup in the morning, he still had a hangover and his head was pounding. ¡°Aigoo, you are about to collapse. What¡¯s wrong with the young man? Did you have breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes, I ate it. Did you?¡± ¡°Of course I did. At my age, if I don¡¯t eat, I¡¯ll get weak.¡± ¡°Oh, you are still young, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mr. Kim chuckled at Han Seon-joo¡¯s comment. The workplace atmosphere was not bad. The boss and his co-workers also described Seon-Joo as a hardworking, solid young man. However, he hid the fact that he was selling his body to other people at night. There was no need to reveal that. ¡°It¡¯s almost lunchtime, what do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Earlier, the boss told me to order from that Chinese restaurant. He said he collected all the coupons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had hot and sour soup. Then I¡¯ll have some jjamppong. How about you?¡± ¡°I have the same spicy one.¡± The thought of anything else made him feel sick to his stomach. The best hangover cure is a big bowl of soup. It started with a meal and ended with a meal. As we chatted and giggled, we noticed a car pulling in through the glass doors. Mr Kim smirked and shook his head. Han Seon-Joo stood up. ¡°I will put the fuel in and come back. Place an order at a Chinese restaurant. Ask the boss what he¡¯d like to eat.¡± Mr Kim scratched his head and picked up his phone. Han Seon-Joo smiled and walked out the door. The bright blue, lid-open convertible pulled smoothly into the straight line drawn on the ground. Within the inverted triangle logo, a golden bull raised its forepaws as if it were about to pounce. ¡°Welcome?¡­¡± The greeting didn¡¯t come out properly. Han Seon-Joo¡¯s face hardened at the sight of the man in the driver¡¯s seat. The owner of the car, who wore sunglasses, recognised him. He pushed his glasses down and raised his hand in greeting. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you in such a place. Did you quit that job?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I never thought I¡¯d see Kwon Hee-Seong here either. He was better than Kim Soo-Chan, but it brought back memories of that day and I wasn¡¯t too happy about it. I couldn¡¯t hide the sour look on my face. Perhaps the boss took my warning seriously, and for several days, Kim Soo-Chan hadn¡¯t managed to see a single strand of my hair. So I was able to receive other guests with ease. Seeing Kwon Hee-Seong brought back all those memories. The eyes that crawled over my skin like snakes, and the unpleasant sensations that I felt clinging to my lower body. Han Seon-Joo absentmindedly patted his cheek with the back of his hand. ¡°Someone, you know?¡± The woman sitting next to Kwon Hee-Seong spoke up. She had long, black, straight hair and a voluptuous figure. Before she could say anything else, Han Seon-Joo spoke up. ¡°How much do you want me to fill it with?¡± ¡°Oh. Full.¡± The interjection was effective, and there was a moment of silence between them. In the meantime, Seon-Joo pushed a button on the machine and stuck a gun in the petrol pump. The petrol gurgled and flowed into the tank. There was a trick to this one. Slow, leisurely pouring will result in more than the correct amount, while hasty pouring will result in bubbling, and the display indicator will show full, but less than when pouring slowly. Han Seon-Joo stretched every sinewy muscle in his hand and pulled the trigger as hard as he could. Whipping petrol into a gushing frenzy. ¡°That way, put oil in it¡­are you having some weird disorder?¡± An ambiguous smile played on Kwon Hee-Seong¡¯s lips. Han Seon-Joo looked at him with a questioning stare. He shook his head negatively. ¡°No.¡± Kwon Hee-Seong grinned and tilted his head. There¡¯s no way Han Seon-Joo could have known that the gesture of holding the gun and shoving it into the petrol tank was reminiscent of a suggestive act. I heard a ticking sound. After a couple of sweeps of the gun, I pulled it out and hung it on a hook, then took the card out of the machine and handed it over. Kwon Hee-Seong handed back the receipt without looking at the price. ¡°Throw away the receipt.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No extra service? Water or something.¡± There are. A couple of bottles of water and a couple of lollipops. There was no reason to show kindness to Kwon Hee-Seong, even if he liked it. Han Seon-Joo shook his head. ¡°None.¡± ¡°What petrol station doesn¡¯t have a service?¡± Whatever Kwon Hee-Seong said, Seon-joo bowed his head and turned away. There was the sound of a car starting up behind him, the engine rumbling, and then the car was gone as fast as it had come in. He turned his head and watched the blue convertible drive away. Is it my lucky day? The horoscope I saw in the newspaper this morning wasn¡¯t bad. I turned around and walked away, thinking that seeing Kwon Hee-Seong must have been the worst part of the day. Just as he is about to open the glass door and step inside, he hears a distinctive engine noise and stops in his tracks. A bright blue car pulled into a petrol station once again. The woman in the passenger seat leaned her elbow against the window in annoyance, while Kwon Hee-Seong, who held the steering wheel, looked at Seon-Joo with a wide smile. ¡°It¡¯s unfair. At least get me a bottle of water. I always get them when I come from that old man.¡± When Mr.Kim realised what had happened, he rushed out of the building. He looked at Seon-Joo and Kwon Hee-Seong alternately and bowed his head. ¡°Aigoo, boss. It¡¯s been a while since you stopped by. Is there any mistake?¡­¡± Mr Kim glanced at Kwon Hee-Seong hesitantly for a moment. Han Seon-Joo looked to the other side and sighed. If you¡¯re going to do something like that, ask for it in the first place. So I could have taken back my lie and pretended I didn¡¯t know, but now I only bothered Mr.Kim as well. ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯ll get it right back to you.¡± It¡¯s hard to imagine driving an expensive car and coming back for just a few bottles of water. Still, Han Seon-Joo apologised graciously and hurriedly brought bottled water and candy. Kwon Hee-Seong was grinning from ear to ear the whole time, leaving Han Seon-Joo wondering what was so good about it. He didn¡¯t seem happy to receive the water and candy. As Seon-joo bows down to follow Mr.Kim¡¯s example, Kwon Hee-Seong suddenly thrusts a lollipop in front of Seon-Joo¡¯s nose. ¡°This one¡¯s for you. Instead of cigarettes.¡± ¡°Yes?¡­¡± He didn¡¯t smoke at the petrol station other than before he left for work. Seon-Joo pressed his nose against his forearm and sniffed. It reeked of unpleasant grease. ¡°No, not now. When we saw each other last time¡­¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡± He interrupted Hee-Seong and snatched the candy. Despite being cut off in the middle, Kwon Hee-Seong only shrugged. The car left the petrol station as noisily as it had come in. Mr.Kim didn¡¯t straighten up until the back of the car was completely gone. It was only after Han Seon-Joo told him that it was gone, that he felt relieved. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would make such a mistake. Did the two of you meet before?¡± ¡°Nope. It¡¯s the first time.¡± ¡°Is it? He must be mistaken. Ugh, the world is so unfair. He¡¯s rich, he¡¯s handsome, and he¡¯s an alpha.¡± ¡°How do you know? That guy is an alpha?¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m an alpha, too, though I¡¯m embarrassed to call myself one.¡± Originally, Kim Soo-chan pointed out Kwon Hee-Seong as an Alpha and said that Alphas are known for hanging out with other Alphas. But Han Seon-Joo didn¡¯t realise that Mr.Kim had the same type. CH 8 He didn¡¯t have enough time to sleep because he tried to work continuously day and night. Han Seon-Joo settled in for a quick nap on the sofa in the waiting room. The shop was now open, but there was still some time to spare before the peak hours. I drifted off to sleep and woke up to a loud crashing sound. Several people in the waiting room also looked at each other, unsure of what the uproar was about. Someone curious pushed open the door to see what was going on outside. A muffled shout came through the open door. ¡°Bring me Kang Ji-Ho!¡­¡± Han Seon-Joo¡¯s shoulders sank. It¡¯s because he recognised the man who was screaming down the corridor like he was a madman. The others turned their heads to look at Han Seon-Joo. In-Cheol quickly motioned for the door to be closed, and then approached Seon-Joo. He whispered quietly as if a sound would leak outside. ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t go out. That motherfucker won¡¯t go away, and he¡¯s going to come back even more.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to go and see him? What if he¡¯s trying to do something and we get caught in the crossfire?¡± The person who opened the door objected. He looked as if he would grab Han Seon-Joo by the collar and throw him outside if that would silence the commotion. In-Cheol pursed his lips. He was senior to him, so he couldn¡¯t talk down to him. ¡°If Yeong-ho was there, he wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything¡­¡± he said. Coincidentally, this mess happened when a powerful ally in the face of Kang Yeong-ho, was away. Han Seon-Joo sighed and stood up from his seat. Sitting here and holding my breath wasn¡¯t going to solve the problem. It¡¯s about to get crowded, and if Soo-Chan would keep making a scene like that, he will scare all customers away. Then it¡¯s up to me to make up the difference for lost clients. The opinion that I should get out was valid. It¡¯s probably best for the boss to take care of this, but from the looks of it, I don¡¯t think today Kim Soo-Chan is going to go away without a fight. ¡°I¡¯ll get going.¡± ¡°Hyung, don¡¯t go. What if you get beaten up for nothing?¡± ¡°Do not worry. I¡¯m not going to die.¡± I had no intention to get obediently beaten by someone. Han Seon-Joo gave him a reassuring smile and walked out the door. I heard a sound like someone smashed something on the counter. A security guard was blocking the way, but he couldn¡¯t touch Kim Soo-chan¡¯s body easily. The manager was also sweating a lot while trying to calm him down somehow. Haa, you do nothing without money, Kim Soo-Chan yelled as he opened his thick wallet. After two weeks without seeing him, Kim Soo-Chan looked shabby and dishevelled, unlike the old self who used to smell of luxury goods from head to toe. His shirt was wrinkled and his whole body reeked of booze. His eyes were red and puffy, and the skin under his eyes was damp, like someone suffering from insomnia. ¡°Do you know who I am? The Southern District Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Lee Dong-hoon and I are siblings. Do you think you guys are going to get away with this? Someone can just go to the tax agency and report your business for illegal activity. Get me Kang Ji-ho right now!¡± The screaming was worse than a child¡¯s tantrum. I don¡¯t know if the hush money that the boss was so eager to give to the police in times like this will work for Kim Soo-chan. Could cops deal with him? A party of guests had just opened the entrance door and turned around in panic when they saw what was happening inside. If left as it is, the business will have to be shut down for the day. Inevitably, Han Seon-Joo coughed loudly trying to get Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s attention. As soon as Seon-Joo appeared in front of him, Kim Soo-Chan broke down crying. It was so sad that one could have mistaken it for a dumped lover. With reddened eyes, he approached Han Seon-Joo. He hunched over, hands trembling, and tried to grab Seon-Joo. However, Seon-Joo took a step back. ¡°Jihoya, we had such a good time. But, these people are being weird and won¡¯t let me see you.¡± Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s violent attitude, which he showed in front of the manager and security guard, changed dramatically. They both clicked their tongues in disbelief and put their hands on their waist. Han Seon-Joo was also confused. I didn¡¯t even remember it being that good. I gave him a few drinks and fed him some snacks. That¡¯s the kind of hospitality I would do for any other guest. I couldn¡¯t understand Kim Soo-Chan, who spoke as if he had fallen in love with someone he had only met a few times. ¡°Please, that¡¯s enough.¡± At the stern reply, Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s eyes widened as if he¡¯d been slapped on the back of the head, but he quickly cracked an awkward smile. Han Seon-Joo stared into his face. He didn¡¯t feel anything when he saw his face. Not even pity. ¡°Why, what¡¯s the matter? It isn¡¯t supposed to be like this, we used to be good¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never felt that way. Please stop coming back. What the hell are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any money?!¡± Kim Soo-Chan finally snapped. Blood rose violently in his eyes flashing with madness. His mood changed as if he were about to grab a knife and strike out, Han Seon-Joo backed away hesitantly. However, Kim Soo-chan grabbed Han Seon-Joo¡¯s shoulders with both hands. It¡¯s said the madman¡¯s best quality is enormous strength, and so Han Seon-Joo¡¯s shoulders started tingling from lack of blood flow. ¡°Ji-Ho, you shouldn¡¯t be like that. I¡¯ve been so good to you?¡­ How much have I spent on you?!¡± They have met a few times and I didn¡¯t even flirt with him, however in Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s head, it seemed like they were dating and already made a promise to get married. My ordinary self could not keep up with this madman¡¯s thinking. The pain of his grip caused Han Seon-Joo to push him away with all his might, and Kim Soo-Chan collapsed on the floor with a groaning sound. Still, he crawled out, grabbed Han Seon-Joo¡¯s leg, and clung to him. ¡°Hyung will earn more money and come back. Don¡¯t reject me. Huh¡­Don¡¯t do that, Ji-hoya. Your hyung is so heartbroken¡­¡± ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t make it uglier. That¡¯s it, we¡¯re done. I don¡¯t want your money, I don¡¯t need it, don¡¯t come back.¡± Han Seon-Joo pulled out his leg. However, Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s expression as he fell to the ground was unusual. When he combed through his hair, his scalp turned red hot as if it was burning. Soon his lips twisted to reveal his teeth, his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes lifted. He looked like a Yaksha drawing. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s see¡­Let¡¯s see, you fucking bitch!!!¡± Kim Soo-Chan jumped to his feet and threw up his arms as if the tears a moment ago were just an act. The security guard couldn¡¯t stop it. The fist brushed Han Seon-Joo¡¯s chin. His head jerked to the side as his body buckled under the weight of the blow, and the place that had been hit turned red in an instant. The guard quickly blocked Seon-Joo¡¯s away and grabbed Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Customer! Calm down, customer!¡± The agitated manager also hugged Kim Soo-chan¡¯s back. As the two men struggled, Soo-Chan hesitated. Seon-Joo stepped back and touched the corner of his mouth with his fingers. There was blood on his fingerprints. Why use fists when you cannot even hit properly? I was afraid that it would be a waste of time and money to sue him. It might end up as a double assault, even though I got hit, I might still have to pay Soo-Chan a settlement. There¡¯s nothing in it for me to complain about here. Seon-Joo mentally scribbled ¡®money¡¯ in Hangul instead of the character for patience. However that didn¡¯t cool his anger, so he clenched his fists. Blue veins stood up on the back of his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sue you, so fuck off.¡± He gritted his teeth instead of getting angry. In response Kim Soo-chan lost his temper and charged at Han Seon-Joo, screaming. The manager and guard pulled him away with all their might. Unable to overcome the strength of the two men, Kim Soo-Chan was moved away from the hallway, swinging his arms and legs. ¡°You¡¯re a money-grubbing whore! You will see this is not the end! You¡¯re the one I¡¯m going to kill!¡± Even as he was being dragged away, Soo-chan continued to curse. The guard and the manager grunted and kicked Kim Soo-Chan out the door. The fluorescent vests of unit members could be seen through the open door. Someone must have called the police. The guard and manager who handed Kim Soo-Chan over to the police came back to the store. The boss, who had been listening quietly in the corner of the room, poked his head out. ¡°Is he gone? I called the cops. That maniac did the same last time, but why did he come back looking like that? You should keep your guard up, see Ji-Ho, I kept my promise. I¡¯ve blocked him as much as I can.¡± ¡°Yes.Thank you.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s clean up and move on, we need to get ready. And manager, you should sprinkle some salt on the entrance. What the hell is this, at the start of working hours.¡± The boss was furious and walked away. Seon-Joo was standing at a distance and pressed his lips to the back of his hand. The red blood was smeared like lipstick. I hoped Kim Soo-Chan won¡¯t come back. The words ¡°this is not the end¡± stuck in my head. ¡°Jihoya, you¡¯ve been having a bad day lately. Should I do something good for you?¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Let me know if there¡¯s a shaman in your area that I can visit.¡± The guard scratched the back of his head, and Han Seon-Joo just laughed. He was serious. When he looked back at the recent events, he wondered if he was being haunted by bad luck. The manager took a pinch of coarse salt from a colander and popped it into Han Seon-Joo¡¯s mouth. He walked to the waiting room, munching on salty grains. He was hoping that these salty grains might do the trick. *** The lower lip where Kim Soo-Chan¡¯s fist brushed was now swollen. As soon as Mr Kim saw it, his eyes widened and he anxiously asked me if I had been fighting someone. It was a one-sided assault, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain, so I spoke in a joking tone. ¡°Yes. I fought seventeen to one.¡± ¡°So you were one of the seventeen? ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the one. I¡¯ve beaten them all.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a joke.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust people, mister. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s real.¡± Han Seon-Joo was all smiles and insisted it was true. Look there are some pretty bad muscles on my thin arms. Even when he saw the round biceps made by lifting dumbbells, Mr Kim snorted. The conversation was cut short as two cars pulled in one after the other. Han Seon-Joo stood up with a smile on his face. Mr Kim took the first car and Seon-Joo waited for the black SUV that came in after it. A black horse stood on two legs within a yellow shield-shaped logo. CH 9 Do no repost or reshare. Support author. Episode 9 ¡°Welcome!¡± He greeted them cheerfully and waited for the window to lower. The window slid slowly open. When he saw who was occupying the driver¡¯s seat, his smile faded. Last time, it was definitely a blue convertible. ¡°What are you so surprised about? Like seeing a ghost¡­¡± Kwon Hee-seong chuckled softly in the car. Han Seon-joo¡¯s expression went immediately sour. Still feeling bad about getting punched by Kim Soo-chan the other night, Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s face was the second last one he wanted to see today. He tried to force his lips up, but his mouth crumpled into a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your lips? Was it stung by a bee?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°There was a fight. 17 vs 1. How much should I fill up?¡± Kwon Hee-seong laughed softly. Wondering if it was really looking that bad, Seon-joo rubbed his cheek with a clean hand. His torn lip stung. ¡°Full. If you fought, I think you were one of the seventeen. Or did that crazy bastard Kim Soo-chan hit you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What else does he know? Not knowing what to say, Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t answer and put the gun into the fuel tank. Once again, he pushed the trigger as hard as he could and pumped in the petrol. Occasionally, he wiggled the gun to make it bubble even more. ¡°Your lips are like a steamed bun.¡± The reason his lip was stinging wasn¡¯t because it was hurting, but because he was being stared at. Kwon Hee-seong studied Seon-joo¡¯s lips and suddenly opened the glove compartment. As he stuck his hand into the clutter, the box of condoms fell out to the floor first. The size was stamped on the gilded surface in big, bold letters as if to show off. XXL. It was an imported product. No way. Showing off. Han Seon-joo peeked between Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s legs, as his eyes slowly narrowed. It was dark and the pants were baggy, so it was hard to see the shape. Kwon Hee-seong continued to rummage through the contents, and finally, with an exclamation, he pulled something out of its depths. He then stretched his upper body and shoved his fist out the window. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, no need for that.¡± For whatever reason, I refused. ¡°I told you to take it.¡± Kwon Hee-seong said it once more. Eventually, Seon-joo held out his palm in defeat. Pale yellow bandages and ointment with children¡¯s characters were placed on his palm. I looked at him in disbelief, and he tapped the corner of his mouth. ¡°Put it on. What if someone sees you and thinks your lips split while sucking a dick? How can one say something like that? No one in the world would have such a perverted idea, except for Kwon Hee-seong. The machine¡¯s gun announced that it was out of fuel, so he opened his mouth to say something but closed it before speaking up. Han Seon-joo removed the gun, hung it in place, and returned the card. ¡°Any service?¡± ¡°Do you need it?¡± I swallowed unnecessary words. I hope he won¡¯t come here again because the service is terrible. Kwon Hee-seong pouted his lower lip and rubbed his cheek. Apart from his dog-like personality, he¡¯s also good-looking. Maybe that¡¯s why Kwon Hee-seong can get away with childish things like this. ¡°I want to take more because you¡¯re annoyed. Bring it to me fast, isn¡¯t the customer king?¡± Han Seon-joo clicked his tongue and grabbed bottled water and candy from the desk. He picked up a lollipop, then saw a cinnamon-flavoured one lying around in the corner and switched to it. Kwon Hee-seong sat with his arms resting on the steering wheel, waiting. Seon-joo leaned forward and reached into the car. Kwon Hee-seong threw his bottled water into the backseat and only received candy. But when he saw the cinnamon-flavoured candy in red gothic script, the corners of his mouth twitched. He had to suppress the laughter from bursting out. Then he cleared his throat and looked at Seon-joo. ¡°Come to think of it, we¡¯ve met three times and I still don¡¯t know your name. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Kang Ji-ho.¡± We¡¯re not close enough to exchange real names. Kwon Hee-seong repeated the name after Seon-joo, as if trying to memorize it. ¡°I am Kwon Hee-seong. Oh, and what date is it today?¡± ¡°13th.¡± ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s about time. Hang in there a little bit more. Soon Kim Soo-chan won¡¯t be able to see you even if he would want to. He doesn¡¯t have much left to pull anything out for now¡­But I don¡¯t know if he has any money left to do something extra.¡± It was a meaningful remark. Han Seon-joo frowned. If Kim Soo-chan disappears on his own, he would be more grateful. ¡°Why? What do you mean by that?¡± What do I mean? Nothing much. I will drink water. You eat candy. Who is eating cinnamon flavour these days?¡± Kwon Hee-seong returned the candy to Seon-joo. Before he could ask any more questions, the window lifted up and a black car drove away from the petrol station. Han Seon-joo put the candy in his hand into his pocket and looked at his other palm. A mischievous penguin character with glasses drawn on a band-aid was raising his hand towards Han Seon-joo. Saying I split my lip while sucking a dick¡­ Han Seon-joo wrinkled his forehead and stretched his arm over the bin. If I turn my hand, the things I received from Kwon Hee-seong will be mixed in with the rubbish. When I think of what he said, I can throw it away. ¡°¡­¡± Seon-joo exhaled and pulled back his arm. Ointment and plasters were not to blame. Besides, the wound on his lip throbbed as if it would burst open again. Why waste resources? I shoved them into my pocket, thinking I¡¯d better save the money. Cinnamon candy, bandages and ointment all mixed together. *** No matter how much money he would make, very little of it end up in Han Seon-joo¡¯s hands. The interest rate was piling up in front of his eyes. No matter how much I poured into it, the debt didn¡¯t go down, and I couldn¡¯t afford to pay the interest. The money came in like a shallow tide and went away like a great ebb. I wish I could save up and move my brother and mother into a rental so I could spend less. It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen an empty balance, but today it left a sour taste in my mouth. After making a scene, Kim Soo-chan didn¡¯t show up for days. Although it¡¯s nice that he¡¯s out of sight for now, it feels kind of strange. Maybe he¡¯s hiding out and preparing something, or maybe, as Kwon Hee-seong said, he¡¯s disappeared finally. What did he mean by not being able to see me even if he wanted? Han Seon-joo crossed his arms and threw his head back. I closed my eyes and racked my brain, but I couldn¡¯t come up with an answer. Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s words that he mentioned last time¡­ ¡°No way.¡± Han Seon-joo shook his head in disbelief. Kwon Hee-seong is not a gangster. I don¡¯t know exactly what he¡¯s doing, but there¡¯s nothing rogue or dangerous about Kwon Hee-seong, the way he was the person roaming through a street full of neon signs. And even if he belongs to some organizations, how easy it is to get rid of one person? It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Trying to catch up on some much-needed sleep, Seon-joo leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes. I wish I could lie down and take a nap, but I can¡¯t because I know my clothes will be wrinkled, my hair will be ruined, and my boss will yell at me. After less than ten minutes, Han Seon-joo opened his eyes. Kang Yeong-ho stormed into the waiting room with a thud. ¡°Hey, fuck¡­¡± he spat greeting mixed with cursing. Han Seon-joo smiled softly. ¡°You are back.¡± ¡°Uh. Hey, did you hear the news?¡± There was a dark shadow on Kang Yeong-ho¡¯s face. Guess it¡¯s not good news. ¡°What news?¡± ¡°In-cheol. That kid has manifested. Han Seon-joo¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. In-cheol was the one who took Seon-joo¡¯s side when Kang Yeong-ho was comparing looks with Seon-joo. For the last few days, his complexion has been as pale as a sheet, and he looked like he was about to collapse, but I didn¡¯t know that was a sign of a manifestation. Kang Yeong-ho sat down on the sofa, frowning as if he were about to spit. As the dust rose in puffs, he waved it away with his hand and sighed heavily. ¡°Crazy, why is he manifesting now? Isn¡¯t it usually happening when you are younger? Most of the guys I know did it when they were in middle or high school. What is he¡­¡± ¡°What did he manifest as?¡± ¡°Omega. Fucking luck.¡± He looked like he was desperate for a cigarette. Han Seon-joo was equally sour. It¡¯s better to manifest as an Alpha, but the Omega was an extra burden that he didn¡¯t need in his already full life. ¡°How come¡­It¡¯s rare to see a late bloomer like that.¡± ¡°According to the doctor, it does happen. Well, they say some people are a little bit unstable, and if they¡¯re exposed to a lot of pheromones, they can get it. Damn it, if that¡¯s the case, then why not manifest earlier. What a load of bullshit doctors are. They don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing, so they¡¯re saying whatever.¡± Kang Yeong-ho rubbed his head, saying he had wasted money going to the hospital. Han Seon-joo was also feeling conflicted. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to console him. Uh, hey, why don¡¯t you visit his place later, when you¡¯re free? I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s good for him to stay alone.¡± Yeong-ho Kang worried about what In-cheol might do in the meantime. He was still fiddling with his phone, but he couldn¡¯t help himself and dialled the number. After only a couple of beeps, he nervously clicked his tongue, wondering why the hell he wasn¡¯t answering his phone. ¡°Hey you bastard, why are you taking so long to answer?¡± Kang Yeong-ho snapped at In-cheol when he answered the phone. Seon-joo let out a short, relieved breath. I¡¯m sure In-cheol didn¡¯t do anything wrong in the meantime, but human affairs are never that simple. He could have changed in an instant. While Kang Yeong-ho was still talking nonsense and trying to keep the conversation going, the door slid open. Managers thought the noise was coming from a fight, so he pushed his anxious head through the door crack. But when he saw the phone in Kang Yeong-ho¡¯s hand, he sighed and stretched out his fingers. ¡°Ji-ho hyung, there is a request for you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going.¡± I wanted to say something comforting to In-cheol while he was on the phone, but I didn¡¯t have time. I nodded to Kang Yeong-ho, and he waved at me to go away. ¡°Uh, Ji-ho will stop by later. In-cheol, man, don¡¯t think about it for now.¡± Just in case Han Seon-joo would change his plans after work, Kang Yeong-ho made it certain he would visit In-cheol just in case. Seon-joo nodded and followed the manager. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried. I couldn¡¯t wait for the work hours to be over. CH 10 Do not repost or reshare. Support the author Episode 10 A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my daze. Mr Kim Kim, sitting across from me, looked at me with concern. Han Seon-joo made a soft noise and rubbed his dry face with his hands. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just a bit, well, tired.¡± The day ended later than expected yesterday. The regular, who came occasionally, had something to vent, so she poured out a lot of liquor. Time flew by as she vented about her bastard boss who kept placing all blame on the regular. It wasn¡¯t until late in the morning that I managed to keep my word to stop by Inchul¡¯s house. All I could think about was the conversation we had. ¡°Okay, take a break, I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± However, cars were coming in one after another. It was not a self-serve place, and it looked like it would be hard for Mr Kim to handle all those cars on his own. Han Seon-joo got up from his seat and put service items into his pockets. ¡°You should rest.¡± ¡°How are you going to do all those cars on your own? I¡¯m fine, I just haven¡¯t had much sleep.¡± Kim clicked her tongue as Seon-joo rubbed his eyes. In his old days, he also was nagged a lot for trying too hard. ¡°Then go on. Be careful.¡± ¡°All right. How about meat for lunch? Gamjatang* from last time was especially good last time, should I order it again? I will ask to add noodles as well.¡± ¡°Sounds good. We¡¯ll have to order in advance. Let¡¯s add some sujebi noodles**. And fried rice?¡± ¡°It would be sad if there is no fried rice in gamjatang.¡± Mr Kim¡¯s eyes lit up as if he¡¯d been worried about something. Seon-joo came outside trying to keep up with Mr Kim. His eyes kept closing, so he slapped his cheeks and stepped closer to the car in front of him. When I saw the figure in the window, I couldn¡¯t help but snort. It was a familiar face. How many cars does he have? Are you a dealer or something? ¡°Why does your face look like that every time I see you? Last time you got beaten up, this time you¡¯re like a dog that didn¡¯t get any food.¡± Kwon Hee-seong made a bold statement. The last time I looked in the mirror, I had bags under my eyes and crusty white patches on my lips. Instead of answering, Seon-joo rubbed his face with one hand and closed and opened his eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. How much do you want to put in?¡± Still, I was less hesitant now maybe because I received some ointment and bandages from him, or maybe because I saw his face a few times. The voice that spoke to me was not the same as before. ¡°Full. Did you work last night? Where?¡± The question was subtle. Seon-joo¡¯s eyebrows twitched, then relaxed. Without a word, I took the card and pressed it firmly against the monitor. ¡°It¡¯s not Kim Soo-chan, is it? Who is it?¡± ¡°You are very interested in my business. I¡¯m not accepting men anymore.¡± In case Mr Kim could hear me, I whispered, lowering my voice. Kwon Hee-seong, who understood why i was talking that way, smiled brightly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m interested. I am curious as to why Kim is so obsessed with you. I have never had a crush on a man before.¡± ¡°Hopefully you don¡¯t get carried away. And the reason he¡¯s obsessed with me is simple. He is crazy.¡± I put my index finger on the side of my head and rotated it, in response to this Kwon Hee-seonng burst out laughing. It was so loud that it could be heard outside the car. Even Mr Kim stuck his head out, wondering what was going on. Han Seon-joo quickly stuck a gun in the tank as if nothing had been said. ¡°¡­¡± My cheeks burned with a strange tingling sensation and I looked away, but my eyes met his gaze in the rear-view mirror. I tried to dodge him, but he was staring right back at me. A weak smile floated on Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s lips. ¡°Why.¡± I was the first one to look at him, and it was a bit of a surprise. He didn¡¯t want to lose to him. ¡°Why do you keep looking?¡± ¡°Do I have to pay to look?¡± I really wanted to say ¡°yes, pay¡±. I glanced at Mr Kim and pushed words that were floating in my head. ¡°Stop looking at me.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even Kim Soo-chan.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s too much. How can you compare me to that dick-obsessed little shit? I feel offended.¡± When he mentioned Kim Soo-chan, Kwon Hee-seong frowned. His brow furrowed as if he was deeply offended. His eyes, visible through his dishevelled hair, turned ferocious for a moment. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Seon-joo shrugged his shoulders in a way that said he wasn¡¯t sorry at all. Whether he was sitting on the couch as a spectator or jumping on me to suck my balls, it almost made no difference for me. Kwon Hee-seong stared as if observing at Han Seon-joo who was preoccupied with refuelling after throwing an apology that didn¡¯t look like an apology. His gaze was as persistent and intense as the one that stuck in the nape of my neck that day¡­. Not wanting to be caught in the same mood, Han Seon-joo didn¡¯t mind a silent battle. As a result, Kwon Hee-seong¡¯s appearance caught my eye. With drooping eye corners, dense eyelash curls, and freely drawn dark eyebrows, he looks as innocent as a small puppy. I didn¡¯t notice it in the room because I wasn¡¯t paying attention, but in the daylight, his eyes are clear brown. Just like a cinnamon candy¡­ The sharp contrast with his black pupils is enough to draw attention. If their first meeting had been pleasant, he might have made a good impression based on appearances alone. He was very handsome. ¡®Hyung, I¡¯m omega.¡¯ I flinched while holding a gun. A sobbing and shaking voice echoed in my head. Maybe it was a coincidence that the man in front of me was an Alpha. ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ In-cheol¡¯s situation was worse than expected. His cheeks and eyes were sunken, as if he hadn¡¯t had a single sip of water, and the nape of his neck was like a dry twig. He felt so nauseous, he couldn¡¯t even eat a spoonful of porridge and had to hold onto the toilet seat. It was considered an after-effect of the manifestation. In-cheol confessed in a dying voice he manifested later than everyone else, he also had to go through getting IV treatment at the hospital. ¡®What do you mean what should you do? You¡¯ve been through worse, right? Just because you¡¯re an Omega doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re any different, just live with it. Look at good things. It¡¯s going to make your skin look better, it¡¯s going to make you smell better, it¡¯s going to make you more popular.¡¯ ¡®No! It¡¯s not good, it¡¯s terrible!¡¯ In-cheol shouted in response and wrapped his shaky arms around his stomach. He could barely get a short sentence out and still feel a little nauseous. With a grunt, In-cheol raised his head. His face was wet with tears. ¡®I can smell things everywhere, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll run into an alpha if I go outside for a second. And¡­..!¡¯ ¡®Calm down. With inhibitors, you can live a normal life. It¡¯s going to be fine. Just fine, In-cheolah. It¡¯s not much different from the usual. The last time I looked at wage averages, omegas make more than Betas and live better. Okay, do you want something to eat? I will buy it. Shall I get you some tangerines? I know you love them.¡¯ Trying to somehow reduce an enormous frustration to the size of a pea, Han Seon-joo spat out random words. But instead, In-cheol¡¯s lips trembled as tears fell like a waterfall. His dry lips opened and closed. ¡®Hyung, I¡¯m pregnant.¡¯ ¡®¡­what?¡¯ In-cheol jumped to his feet and rummaged through the trash like a possessed man. A rough hand toppled the bin, sending several elongated pregnancy tests flying to the floor. In-cheol picked up one of them and handed it to Han Seon-joo. Two clear lines on the white background. ¡®I couldn¡¯t say anything to Yeong-ho hyungnim. But it said that I¡¯m having a baby. I don¡¯t know what to do, I¡¯m scared. Hyung, what should I do?¡¯ ¡®What the hell.¡¯ ¡®Hyung, I heard that omegas give birth much faster than normal women. It takes only eight or seven months to have a baby. It¡¯s only been a week for me but I¡¯m already like that. Does this¡­does this make any sense?¡¯ In-cheol snatched up the tester and threw it on the floor as if it was a dead bug. This time, Seon-joo was left speechless. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He stood there with his mouth open. However, he quickly regained his senses and grabbed In-cheol¡¯s shoulder. ¡®What about the baby¡¯s father?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ In-cheol¡¯s eyes wavered in response. He turned away and bit his lip. That reaction was enough to tell me what was going on. ¡®Then remove it. As soon as possible, before it¡¯s too late.¡¯ It was a chilling voice even to my own ears. It was the most feasible option for In-cheol. A lump of cells that no one was welcoming was better off disappearing before it got its ears. In-cheol¡¯s eyes widened at such a blunt suggestion¡­ However, I woke up from my flashback to the sound of the car door opening. Kwon Hee-seong was watching Seon-joo with his arm resting on the car window. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°¡­no clue.¡± ¡°Ugh, I kept looking at you, but were you spacing out?¡± Kwon Hee-seong shakes his head, his eyes are curved in the shape of a crescent moon. Instead of answering Han Seon-joo shook the rattling gun and took it out. When he handed Kwon Hee-seong the bottled water and candy he had packed, the man refused water but accepted the candy. ¡°If you have any problem, let me know. I¡¯ll listen.¡± ¡°There is none. The refuelling is over, so hurry up. Customers are waiting behind you.¡± As Kwon Hee-seong looked up, cars were pulling into the area where Mr Kim was standing. Seon-joo had to hurry up to send off Kwon Hee-seong, to help Mr Kim. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Kwon Hee-seong peeled off the lollipop¡¯s wrap as if pretending not to notice that Han Seon-joo was in a hurry. The owner of the car behind him pulled down his window and stuck his head out to see what was going on. ¡°Stop interrupting business. Go quickly.¡± ¡°Technically, I¡¯m a customer, too. How much do you think I have spent in this place?¡± Kwon Hee-seong chuckled softly and looked at the candy wrap. When Han Seon-joo opened his mouth to comment, Kwon Hee-seong took advantage and shoved the lollipop in. *Gamjatang is a spicy Korean pork bone soup. It is made by simmering pork bones for a long time then the strained milky bone broth is seasoned with Korean special condiments such as gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and gochujang (Korean chili paste). **Sujebi is a Korean style pasta-broth noodle soup that can be both warming and filling. The noodles are soft and chewy, the broth is rich with umami, and it is often served with as little as kimchi.